Good morning, fellow Koreans,

There has been much concern about rice farming this year due to the severe spring drought. Fortunately, rain have come at an opportune time, and farmers have been able to carry on with their rice farming as usual. I am really thankful, indeed.

In about an hour, I will leave for a summit in Washington, D.C. We are now faced with an unprecedented global economic crisis and an aggravated security situation caused by North Korea’s nuclear test and missile threats. At this critical juncture, the importance of diplomacy cannot be overemphasized.

In particular, Korea-U.S. relations are the crux of such diplomacy. Since I took office, I have been channeling all my efforts into summit diplomacy as it is instrumental to overcoming the economic crisis and bolstering national security.

I will turn the Korea-U.S. summit into an opportunity to reaffirm that the Korea-U.S. alliance is rock solid and to help wisely cope with pending issues such as the ratification of the KOR-US FTA. At the same time, I will work to build trust with President Obama based on a heart-to-heart understanding. I would highly appreciate it if you all would provide unsparing support to help make the summit a success.

Fellow citizens,

I understand that a series of recent incidents have caused you much confusion and anxiety.

The bulletin board of the Cheong Wa Dae website has been inundated with 10 times as more postings than usual. I have carefully read each of those writings myself. I’ve also been paying close attention to the wide range of public opinions and views reflected in the media.

I hope that we all will be able to put our heads together and harmoniously patch together the cacophony of voices demanding change to forge a good opportunity for national progress and political development.

I was elected President of the Republic with a mandate required by the spirit of the times calling for constructing an advanced, leading nation by reviving the economy and uniting the people.

I am doing my utmost to help turn the tide of the unexpected economic crisis toward a path leading to an advanced country. The entire world is attentively eyeing Korea’s response under these circumstances.

However, a closer look at our society reveals a somewhat dismal picture. The general public is divided by differences in ideology and regional attachments. Irregularities and corruption caused by influence-peddling continue to be repeated. The political situation in which one party unconditionally opposes any move by the other party shows no signs of letting up.

Nowadays, I am engaged in deliberations over how to overcome these obstacles, thereby helping our nation take a new leap forward. There have been attempts to address these problems whenever a new Administration was launched in the past, but to no avail. Thus, I came to the conclusion that such entrenched problems require a thoroughgoing treatment rather than just dealing with symptoms.

Now, I am lending my ears to numerous opinions both inside and outside Cheong Wa Dae. I will continue to pay keen attention to what the people say even after my upcoming visit to the United States and make a judgment as to what I will have to do hereafter. If all citizens pool their wisdom for the sake of the future of our country, I would truly appreciate it.

My fellow Koreans,

It is fortunate that the nation has begun to see a faint light at the end of the long tunnel of the economic downturn.

In the first quarter of the year, the Republic’s economic growth figures were the only ones among OECD member nations to remain in positive territory. On top of this, many professional institutions overseas are predicting that Korea is likely to emerge as the leader in economic growth in the second quarter. Since the index of leading economic indicators in Korea shows the most rapid rise among OECD nations, it is often said that Korea’s economic turnaround constitutes a barometer of the world economy.

This is the very source of our hope amidst difficulties that are beyond description.

It was possible for us to harbor hope because the people took the initiative in dealing with the difficulties facing the nation. The seeming state of confusion and uproar notwithstanding, we are all doing what we are supposed to do. Among other things, the early approval of the Government budget and supplementary bills by the National Assembly was of tremendous help.

Out of 6,800 businesses employing at least 100 workers, a total of 1,800 companies decided to join the job-sharing program. Other countries are surprised at the positive responses. At the same time, the civil servants completed their reports on their new year’s plans at the end of last year. By doing so, they were able to begin disbursing the budget as soon as the New Year started.

However, now is not the time to let down our guard. That is because the current crisis cannot be solved by our efforts alone, and there still are many areas of uncertainty domestically and internationally.

The sad thing is that it takes the longest for low-income families to actually feel the effects of economic recovery. This is sad because they are usually hit the first in times of adversity. That is why the Government has put priority on policies for low-income people and small and medium-sized enterprises. These policies will continue to give them special attention in the months ahead.

Beginning this month through a program dubbed Project Hope, the Government is helping provide 250,000 jobs for those who have had a particularly hard time finding work. By the same token, the Government is trying to secure 140,000 jobs by subsidizing companies that are willing to cooperate with the Government by not laying off their employees.

Many small and medium-sized firms have been able to solve financial problems by taking advantage of the Government’s measures to expand loan guarantees and extend repayment dates. Support for very small businesses and vendors is increasing drastically as well.

The Government is more acutely aware than anyone else that the key to achieving genuine national unity is to protect low-income families and nurture the middle class. The Government has paid and will continue to pay special attention to the policies geared to help those in the low and middle income brackets.

Citing the Government’s tax reduction measures, some people criticize the Administration by saying that policies largely benefit the rich, but it should be noted that 70 percent of the total tax cuts are being given to those with low incomes and small and medium-sized businesses.

Fellow citizens,

I will try my best to reap a good harvest from the Korea-U.S. summit. It is time now to pick up the pieces and rally together in the interest of national security, the economy and a stable everyday life. The Government and I will do all we can to fix matters where they have been less than satisfactory.

Do take good care of yourselves. I will see you again after returning home from the Korea-U.S. summit.

Thank you very much.